The Northern Territory’s Browsing Ant biosecurity efforts have been boosted with an extension to the program’s funding.
Under the National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement (NEBRA), a cost sharing arrangement coordinated by the National Biosecurity Management Group (NBMG), the National Browsing Ant Eradication Program (NBAEP) NT was extended until November 2023.
The NBMG agreed to an upper limit of $3.6 million in funding for the Territory to eradicate the exotic invasive ant species after it was detected at a site in the Kakadu region in September 2020. The new detection resulted in a request by the NT for additional funding and an extension of the program, which was approved by from the NBMG in August 2021.
Prior to new detection in Kakadu in 2020, NBAEP NT was on track to declare browsing ant eradicated from the Territory by September 2021.
Browsing ants were first detected by the Australian Government in the Darwin Port area in 2015. Since then, the NBAEP NT has been undertaking activities including tracing, surveillance and treatment of infested premises (IPs) to contain and eradicate browsing ants from the Territory.
Browsing ants are an exotic, invasive pest to Australia. They are a serious environmental threat and have the potential to jeopardise our economy, impacting national and international market access. They can form super colonies that displace native ant species and kill other invertebrates, including native ants, which disrupt ecosystems. They can reduce plant health through farming and protecting damaging pests such as aphids, mealy bugs and scale insects.
The Territory’s biosecurity staff have been working with local businesses and industry in the Greater Darwin region to carry out tracing and surveillance activities since 2015 at the 22 IPs.
The NBAEP NT partnered with the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s Indigenous Ranger Biosecurity Program to help deliver the surveillance. In the Territory, 12 Indigenous Ranger Groups undertook surveillance using more than 7,000 lures, with no browsing ants detected.
Out of the initial 22 premises, 17 have since been cleared of browsing ant, with the remaining 5 IPs in the Greater Darwin region expected to be cleared when the odour detection dog returns in 2022.
Properties are declared “pest free” after a 2 year period of no browsing ants being found at a property during multiple surveillance events. Proof of absence data is an integral part of the eradication process.
With funding now allocated until November 2023, a new browsing ant eradication target for the Territory has been set for September 2023.
Territorians who are concerned about suspected pests, including browsing ant, should call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.
